Trees are at the root of sidewalk problem

Around Town with Aaron

Tree roots causing problems:

Just past Barclay Hills Park, there's a neighborhood of homes built in the mid 1990s. They're nice homes, with nice landscaping. They also have what used to be nice sidewalks and nice parking strips with city-required tree plantings, a homeowner tells me.

Well, trees grow, roots expand and sidewalks lift.

Now there's yellow, orange and pink caution tape throughout the neighborhood. Every couple of houses, actually. Trees have been removed, sidewalks marked with white, orange and yellow spray paint to warn of the protruding concrete.

There's work in progress. Some segments have already been removed and covered with wood panels. Others have been removed and new concrete poured - trees cut down. Many others await further work. It's quite a site as you drive through the neighborhood.

Chapter 12 of the city municipal code covers required sidewalk repair (read it online at the city's website - www.orcity.org) and states that homeowners are required to make repairs to the sidewalks abutting their property. It also covers property owner liability for negligence in maintaining sidewalks.

So take note, if the sidewalk in front of your property needs repair, the city's not going to do much about it - except tell you to fix it. Or you can go ahead and make the repairs before they tell you to and/or fine you for a code violation.

Construction on Molalla:

There are a couple of construction projects that you've probably noticed when you drive down Molalla Avenue. Orange cones and backhoes indicate the work continues to move forward - here's a little more information on what's going on…

'Did you know they started construction on our new Memory Care next door?' writes Mary O'Dell at McLoughlin Place Senior Living. 'Our owner bought the land that used to be the car wash/beauty shop - and they now have the land pretty much cleared.'

The project will add another 28 beds to McLoughlin Place's Memory Care unit and allow them to meet the ever-growing demand for Dementia patients, O'Dell adds.

And over at Bank of the West, located on Molalla Avenue and Warner Milne Road, construction on a new branch has just begun. But don't worry, customers, the branch will stay open as they build their new building that will increase their size from 1,200 square feet to 3,000 square feet. Construction should be completed by the end of October or the first part of November says Branch Manager Sherrie Henson.

'It's going to be a little bit of an inconvenience,' she adds. 'But customers are going to be very pleased when it's completed.'

Aaron Breniman writes, plays golf, and does a little of this and a little of that while spending most of his time in Oregon City. He can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..